Five arrested in new Belgium anti-terror raids: Prosecutor

Belgian police have arrested five more people in a new series of anti-terrorism raids on Monday, prosecutors said, as the capital Brussels was locked down for a third day under a state of maximum alert.

Belgian soldiers patrol in central Brussels as police searched the area during a continued high level of security. Five more suspects were arrested on Monday, as the capital continued to be locked down for the third day in a row.(REUTERS Photo)

Belgian police have arrested five more people in a new series of anti-terrorism raids on Monday, prosecutors said, as the capital Brussels was locked down for a third day under a state of maximum alert.

The arrests bring to 21 the total number of people detained since police launched a major security operation on Sunday night, with 16 people having been taken into custody earlier, they said.

“Following the operation of last night, five more house searches were conducted in the Brussels region and two more in the Liege region. Five persons were arrested during these searches,” the federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

“A total of 21 persons were arrested since yesterday. They are currently questioned by the police.”

Around 26,000 euros ($27,500) in cash was seized during one of the searches and other items seized by police are being examined, the statement said.

Key Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam is believed to remain on the run after officials said he was not among those arrested on Sunday night.

An incident in which a BMW car rushed off when pulled over by police for a routine check near Liege on Sunday -- which some Belgian media said involved Abdeslam -- had “no link at all with the ongoing operation” and the vehicle had been identified, they added.